moldy eggs :(

[gecko888]

Back in January I introduced my male crested to my females (females weigh 59 grams and 50 grams, and are about 2 years old) for the first time. Nature took it's course and a month later I was excited to find 2 eggs from female #1, followed by another single egg laid a few days later by female #2.

I put the eggs in a small gladware container with one little hole drilled in the side, filled it about half way with Repashy SuperHatch, and put the lid on it. I then placed the container under a heat lamp and kept the temp at ~78*F. About two weeks in I noticed mold on the first two eggs, so I carefully rubbed it off with a q-tip and transferred the 3 eggs into small individual dixie cups, which I then placed back in the gladware container. (I was hoping to keep the mold from "spreading" to the third egg) I removed the heat lamp, as I thought maybe the extra heat was causing too much humidity and thus encouraging mold. 2 weeks later, all three have alot of mold and are pretty much goners (

I was just wondering if anyone had any advice for what I may be doing wrong? I know the first few clutches may be infertile, and that's OK I just don't want them to die because of something I did wrong.

If it matters, I am using a mixture of coco bedding and sphagnum moss for the nest box, and I remove the eggs within 8 hours of the female laying them. Also, the mold was fuzzy white.

I just found 2 new eggs tonight, and I really don't want these to succumb to mold!!

 

[lickyoureyeballs]

I've been keeping my incubator boxes a bit drier than I used to and putting a tiny dish of water (like a water bottle cap) to keep the humidity high enough. Do you have a thermometer in there or a temp gun?

 

[Dyesub Dave]

I have been using SuperHatch for my crestie eggs without problems. However I recently found some Fire Skink eggs and was told to incubate them the same way as the crestie eggs. But I found that I had the same problems as you did with your crestie eggs. I was sure that at least one of them was fertile.

The only thing that I can think of is that either the eggs weren't fertile or perhaps they got rolled or moved too much and that killed the embryo inside. Also in my incubation containers I have several holes around the top on all sides and I open them fairly frequently for air exchange. I also had mine a bit closer to a humid heat source so maybe it has something to do with that. My crestie eggs are kept in a dark corner at room temps and almost all have hatched fine.

The SuperHatch holds a fair bit of moisture so more water doesn't need to be applied often at all. I also usually cover almost all of the egg in the SuperHatch so that any DRIPS from the lid of the container are soaked up by the incubation media and not the egg.

Good Luck and keep us posted on future eggs!!

Dyesub Dave. :biggrin:

 

[MsShlee]

Also the first set of eggs are quite often not good

The first from the pair AND the first for the season sometimes

I wouldnt use a heat lamp on my eggs , room temp is usually fine

One hole is all breeders that I know use because the more holes there are the easier the inside can dry up
But that is with vermiculite , I don't know anything about superhatch

 

[gecko888]

hey guys - thanks so much for your input!

I dont have a thermometer inside the incubation box at all times, but I do check it with a digital thermometer every couple of days. I think the heat lamp I was using was making it too hot/humid in the box and encouraging the mold - and as MsShlee pointed out they were probably infertile to begin with. With this new pair of eggs I am just keeping them at room temp (between 72-76*F) and so far no signs of mold. I also mixed in some dry SuperHatch before putting my eggs in so the substate wouldn't be so wet. I covered my eggs more with the SuperHatch and have moved them to a dark place (thanks DyesubDave) so I am hopeful this will help.

Dyesub -- what is a "humid heat source"?

Thanks again!!

 

[MsShlee]

Good luck with this set of eggs

 

[Dyesub Dave]

Dyesub -- what is a "humid heat source"? Thanks again!!

LOL. That's just my way of saying that I put them on top of my Day Gecko enclosure where there is more heat and humidity. Guess I just should've typed it out in the first place!! ;-)

Good luck with this batch of eggs!!

Dyesub Dave. :biggrin: